Potential strategies and opportunities for the development of Arthrospira maxima (Spirulina) processes: A review

Resumen

The cyanobacterium Arthospira maxima (Spirulina) was consumed in Mexico since pre-hispanic times; nonetheless, its consumption disappeared after the Spanish conquest. Nowadays, there is the need to look more in-depth at the potential that this valuable cyanobacterium offers to several countries with proper climatic conditions for its cultivation. The present review provides an extensive overview of the nutritional and pharmaceutical characteristic of A. maxima and discusses some strategies to develop processes oriented to its production in dual-purpose systems treating waste and producing biomass for aquaculture / animal feed and more complex strategies oriented to the production of valuable products such as the blue pigment phycocyanin at the industrial level.